Indoor-ball device



Sept. 1, 1925,.

M. L. RUTHERFORD INDOOR BALL DEVI CE Filed Sept. 10, 1924 9 FUR-4.

INVENTOR V Patented Sept. 1,1925.

UNITED" STATES INDOOR-BALL DEVICE.

Application filed September 10, 1924. Serial No.736,878.

To all wiiom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORLEY LINTON *RUTHERFORD, a citizen of the United States,

residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have ink vented a Device for Playing the Game of Baseball Indoors, to be Known as an Indoor,-

l3all Device, using certain adaptations of the game to suit the device.

It is to be used in gymnasiums or anywhere that groups of people assemble, where such entertainment would be desired and can also be used asa midway amusement device.

Any number of people can play the game; sides being chosen and some one keeping the score; the score being kept as in the regular game. v

Chairs are'placed about the room to serve as bases and the players throw at the device in turn, each player being allowedthreethrows. 1 7

Rubber or lightly filled base balls are used so that walls will not be damaged. The person throwing stands from 20 to 25 feet from the device, if room will permit.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device showing the position of the blocks and their hinging arrangement, the method of concealing and revealing the various plays, and the supporting frame including ball receptacle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing particularly, supporting toot, catching curtain, and the position of blocks when knocked down.

Fig. 3 is a detail, of the setting up attachment.

.Fig. 4: is an end view of the setting up attachment. i

The device consists of a substantial wood frame, the two uprights 19 in Fig. 1 are 2" X 4" material having a base of 1" X 4 -material 20 in Fig. 2.

The crosspieces11 and 12 Fig. 1 beside being a part of the frame serve useful pur v poses.

Crosspiece 11 of 2 X 4" material cut as shown by dotted line at 11 Fig. 2 and having sides of 1 x 4: material, serves as a receptacle for balls, instruction sheets'etc.

The crosspieces 12 of 2 X 4 material,

advantage.

10 are in an upright position, the plays are covered by the lower part of the blocks.

The blocks 1, 2, 3, i, 5, 6, 7, 8, Sand 10 Fig.1 are 11- X 4" X 12". white pine, to pre ent splitting, are cut as'shown in Fig. 1 and are so balanced that when they arehit by a bail they fall over readily and can be quickly restored to position by setting up attachment 16 in Figures 1 and 2 and Fig. 3.

1. 5 .62 PATENT OFFICE.

The blocks 1 to 10 are hinged by means of eyebolts 1 Fig. 1; two bolts being used for each block, witha washer on either side of the block, the nuts being counter sunk flush with the face of the blocks. The blocks are hung by means of the eyebolts 14 onto the rod 18 and side play is preventedby the screw eyes 15 which are screwed into the crosspieces 12. The straight iron rod '13, having a small hole near either end for cotter pin, passes through the eyebolts 14: in blocks 1 to 10 also through screw eyes 15 in crosspieces 12 and erztends through the uyn-ights 19 Fig. 1 and is fastened at either end by countersunk washer and cotterpin 18 Fig. 2. The whole making a very satisfactory and secure hinging arrangement. The setting up attachments are 1 g rods, Fig. 3 and 16 in Figures 1 and 2, and

are fastened to the front of uprights 19 by screw eyes 17 and when lever is pulled forward will raise blocks as is quite clearly shown at 16 and 9 Fig. 2.

The blocks 1 to 10 areplaced two inches apart so that it is possible to occasionally knock down two blocks at the same time;

this play'being designated as a foul ball.

iron

The blocks 1 to 10 when knocked down as 8 and 9 Fig. 1 show the other plays as follows;

Block 1; take second base.

The player throwing goes to second base.

Block 2; player on first out. The player (if any) on first is outbut the play simply counts as astrike against player throwing.

Block 3; take first base.

on first advances to second, and soon.

Block 4; player onthird out. This puts player on third, if any, out;simply counts as a strike against player throwing.

Block 5.; base on balls. Player throwing The player throwing goes to first base and any player plays on face of crosspieces 12 can be read,

each throw counts as a strike just the same. It will be noted that count is for or against side doing the throwing.

The setting up feature of the device can be operated by cords from a safe distance in front of device or without cords as play 7 ers desire.

A detachable and optional feature of the device is a catching curtain (shown by dotted lines 23 and 25) Fig. 2 to catch those balls that would otherwise go through and back of device; it is made of hezwy cotton .goods and is hung from a 14,, iron rod 21 in Fig. 2 which extends the width of the device, between uprights and is bent at either end to attach to the uprights 19, on the inside, and extend back from uprights six inches, and to hook into screw eyes Fig. 9,. The curtain is also fastened at the bottom onto a ,5! iron rod, having a one inch bend at one end and a small hole for cotter pin near the other end; this rod being placed along the top of the rear side of ball receptacle 11 a: d fastened at either end through screw eyes 24, Fig. 2. The curtain being hung .six inches back of the frame does not interfere with the falling of the blocks and also fits snugly againstthe uprights at either end.

'As amidway amusement device the plan is, to offer a first prize for three consecutive home runs and a-second prize for three home runs not made consecutively. First base, error, and base on balls, would entitle player to one extra throw two base hit, two extra throws and three base hit three extra throws: Out or out on first player would lose one extra throw; out on second he would lose two extra throws; and out on third would lose three extra throws. These plays are on the basis of player being allowed three throws for a stated price; extra throws being allowed for first three balls but no extras being allowed on extra throws.

I claim: a An indoor ball device for playing the game of baseball, indoors, comprising a substantial wood frame having two uprights, each of which has a transverse, rectangular foot, for support of device, the two uprights being joined together by five horizontal cross-pieces, the two upper cross-pieces bearing on the face, in permanent lettering, withproper spacing, ten plays, five on each cross-piece, of the well known game of baseball; a box like, ball receptacle comprising the threelower cross-pieces in conjunction with the two uprights; two sets of numbered, balanced, shaped, rectangular blocks, five blocks to each of the two upper cross-pieces comprising a set, said blocks being mounted perpendicularly by a special hinging arrangement, with lower third of block below hinge flatagainst the face of the cross-piece so that this portion of each block covers one of the plays of baseball, shown on the face of cross-pieces, blocks being so balanced that when the upper portion above hinge, which also extends above crosspicce, is hit by a thrown ball, the block so hit will fall back over the cross-piece at an angle of about 135 degrees, thus exposing one of the various plays, on face of crosspieces to view ofplayers; a special hinging arrangement for each set of blocks, comprising two eye-bolts in each block, two screweyes for each block screwed into top of crosspiece to prevent side play of blocks and a *traight iron rod placed just above and parallel with the cross-piece, said rod passing through screweyes in cross-piece, through eyebolts in blocks and extending through uprights. and flush with the outside of same, where itis secured by means of a countersunk washer and cotter pin; a setting up attachment for restoring blocks to an upright position, comprising an iron rod for each set, said rod being bent to attach to front of left upright by means of a screweye, to extend back on inside of upright, across and forward to front of other upright where it is attached by an other screweye, this end of rod extending to outside of upright and being bent to form an upright lever-like handle; a catching curtain, hung from an iron rod which is bent at either end to attach to screw-eyes on inside top of uprights and to extend far enough back of frame to prevent curtain from interfering with thefalling of the blocks, the curtain having triangular shaped side flaps which fit snugly against back of uprights and is attached at its lower extremity to the top of the back of ball receptacle, so that balls striking it drop into ball receptacle.

MORLEY LINTON RUTHERFORD. 

